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Some are born to sweet delight; some are born to endless night, wrote the great 18th Century romantic poet/painter William Blake in his classic Auguries of Innocence, lyrics Morrison brilliantly lifted for the Doors classic End of the Night.
You could learn a lot from Jim Morrison, intoxicated as he might have been much of the time. But whenever Jim wasnt fully igniting his senses, he managed to read a lot passing on the inspiration he found in poetry, plays and avant-garde film to his audience.
Jim Morrison was one of our great poets and unique performers, Patti Smith told CBS On Sunday Morning. His body of work will always endure.
Smith wasnt alone in recognizing Morrisons enigmatic verse as literature. Following Jims death on July 3, 1971, Beat poet Michael McClure would collaborate with Manzarek, reading Morrisons lyrics (and thereby giving them more credence) as Ray improvised on the well-known melodies he once helped forge.